9 Mrs Marion Eveleigh in the old prison ot Cowbridge Town Hall. COWBRIDGE’a ancient past may hold the key to the town’s future prosperity. Gaolhouse show Locked away in the former 19th-century gaol is a treasure trove of ancient artefacts, which give a fascinating insight into life as tourist trap in and around Cowbridge from prehistoric times right on up to the days of the town’s Georgian, and council, the trust has produced a opens the doors of the gaolhouse Victorian splendour. range of car stickers and badges to the public. Now the custodians of the keys inviting people to “Come to The only other occasions when want to fill the gaolhouse with a Cowbridge” and carrying the the doors are thrown open are new breed of inmate — tourists. motif of the museum trust when parties of visitors ask for The Cowbridge Museum Trust Cowbridge museum is rather guided tours. has launched a new campaign to remarkable, not only because of The fact that it is not perma­ try and attract more tourists to the the fascinating exhibits and the nently manned and open does not town. fact that it is housed in a dungeon, deter the trust’s members from the They are basing their campaign but also because it opens only .belief that the museum could be­ on the attractions of the museum, once a month. come the focal point for an housed in the dungeons below the Every first Saturday of the active drive which would firmly town hall. month, curator and latter-day establish the name of Cowbridge With funding from the town warder Mrs Marion Eveleigh on the tourist map of Wales. Cheerfully incarcerated in the old cells of Cowbridge Town Hall: Mr. James Keay, Mrs. Marion Eveleigh (museum curator) and Mrs. Gwyneth Keay. In this picture-lined corridor of the museum (from left): Mr. Victor Eveleigh, Mrs. Nona Qinn, Mrs. Liam Ginn, Mr. Ray Toogood, Mrs. Barbara Hoi, ol the Historical Society, and Cowbridge Town Councillor Wilf Matthews. ° 7 d' “f.l-lonhoron, the man to first wear the chain in 1957 was There toTheTk >° C°WT[,id9? Rural District Cou™ ' And Mr. Jo m Cowbndge Town Hall. Caun. Jack George, left, de uty mr o r Srth VaTe h l 0rH The ^hai" Wl" 9° on deploy in the museur Manum Evele.gh, museum curator, Mr. John Roberts, chairman of the muselm trust add^riaht r ' r lc0med Mrs ------, mayor. Picture: CLIFFORD NORTON' ’ 9 ' ° Un' D°n Borthwlck- Cowbridgi ' Thurs^ y ^ December m

THEIron Cowbridge mine and exhibition important role as a top- the mine and its impact District Museum Trust grade iron ore producer will open an exhibit on on the nearby village of during two world wars Llanharry. These are the once famous and its impact on the Llanharry Iron Mine, on backed up by a large British economy was photographic display of Saturday in its premises considerable. in the town hall, Cow- the mine, on surface and bridge. underground, and The exhibition depicts many of the The mine, which includes features on the closed in 1975, played an characters which geology and history of worked there. SOUTH WALES ECHO. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27. 1981

sits in a Cowbridge and her husband, Jimmy, police ceil today, wait­ put the final touches to a ing for deportation to lakmg a glimpse jailer's uniform at the Australia for a crime as museum. petty as stealing a rib­ manent," said Mrs Eveleigh, bon. of Broadway, Cowbridge. at a tough past She added that on Satur­ Her cell is as spartan as those in the early 19th Cen­ day the museum would be tury when prisoners — as society for a glimpse of old Keay, of Cae Caste!!, Uan- shows the trades and indus­ open from 10am until 4pm many as 15 in that one small Cowbridge. blethian. tries carried on in the area and then from 3pm until cell — would risk a pelting of And one of those cells has She and other society over the years. 8.30pm for that first week. mud and other substances been transformed to look like members have worked hard "Then we plan to open on Honorary curator of the the first Saturday of each through the barred window one dating back to the early to create the cell and the museum, Mrs Maria Eveleigh, from taunting youths in the 1800's when deportation was other two exhibitions for the month but it could well be said the exhibition — one of more often, depending on the pig market outside. the punishment for the smal­ new museum which opens on the smallest in Woles — was But don't worry, this lest offences — even for Saturday. interest," she explained. to be launched for Cowbridge And Mrs Eveleigh said any woman won't be making that women. Another of the cells con­ Week. She added that during long trip to near-slavery "Women would be tains a display of old Cow­ donations of objects of his­ next week the council torical interest from around "down under," for she is stay­ deported for things like steal­ bridge, some exhibits dating chamber would also feature ing in Cowbridge — as part of ing a ribbon. Women were in back to the Roman origins of the area would be welcomed some of the society's collec­ by the 80 or so members of the town's new museum. short supply in Australia and the town and others featuring tion. Three old police cells in the they would be virtual slaves aspects of the town through the society who would like to "We've set up exhibitions expand their collection to town hall have been taken once they arrived there," said the ages. before but this is the first over by the town's historical society member Mrs Gwyneth And the third display keep improving and changing time that it will be per- their new museum. ÛWBRIDGE’S C historic coun­ cil chamber in the town hall has a secret door leading from the aldermanic bench to the cold, stone cells beneath the building. ---- ... Many years ago the town hall was known as the “House of Correction” where judges sat at regular Glamorgan assizes. Prisoner! awaiting trial were confined in two blocks, each block con­ taining four cells. When about to appear before the judge they were marched along a stone corridor, which gave direct access to the court and into the dock. In about 1879, for some unknown reason, the solid oak-studded door which opened into the courtroom was permanently locked and concealed by a stone waM inside the chamber. The story*of its recent discovery was revealed by Coun. Norman Williams who is the mayor-elect ol the new Cowbridge Com­ munity Council. Coun. Williams, who works for an engineering firm at the Bridgenc Industrial Estate, said: “About two years ago' I started having the ole cells cleaned out as the} had been used for storagi purposes over the years. Hangings ” T h e building was originally sited in Higf Street, opposite the Duke of Wellington Hotel but because of a constani stream cí stage-côachŵ entering and leaving th( town, it was eventually knocked down and rehuil over the House of Correc tion about 1835. “The poor prisoner! were frog-marched iron the cells and even foi stealing a sheep would bi hanged from a tree a Stalling Down or shipped abroad. “The cells are man; hundreds of years old am one of thç sections wa locked up and full of junk We had it cleaned out am CARETAKER Mrs. Pamela Owen and tier v iite-washed. Then wi year-old daughter Mair look at the town hall’s discovered the heavy dooi secret door. at the end of the corridot iTTE, THURSDAY, JUNE 4 ,1 9 8 1 A deep look into a town’s past

by Paula O'Shea

DEEP down in the The society’s members Critical examination by offence, two hours for the damp cells of Cow- have been rummaging in Mrs Martlant made her second, and after the third bridge Town Hall lies their attics, and cadging off think the drum might be you were “let slip!” one of the town's their friends and relations rather special. She handed One cell of the museum for old artefacts to bring it over to Mr and Mrs Jim has been restored to its newest leisure attrac­ the past alive. Keay, of the Historical original state. The town tions — put on by local For two years they have Society. hall used to be the Bridewell, or the House of history enthusiasts. been gathering “It was broken and torn,” memorabilia, all with a Correction for the town. Visitors and residents said Mrs Gwynneth Keay, Before it was converted local angle, to exhibit in “somebody must have put can now go down into the their museum. into the hall in 1830, up to bowels of the town hall to their foot through it, 54 prisoners had to crowd take a look at the town’s Ithink! But my husband Opened into one cell. past in the new Cowbridge patched the original Mr and Mrs Kaey have museum, thanks to the ef­ And at the start of vellum, I washed and dressed tailors’ dummies to forts of the town’s Cowbridge Week, the polished it, and we dis­ represent a prisoner and Historical Society. covered an Edward The her gaoler. The police museum was officially Seventh crest. opened by the town Mayor, museum in the South Coun Brian Gibbon, down “We took it to the Wales Police Head­ in the refurbished cells. Military museum in Cardiff quarters, Bridgend, gave The museum is likely to and they believe it original­ them an old uniform, which be open to the public on the ly belonged to the 18th they managed to adapt. first Saturday of every Glamorgan Rifle “There is so much history month. Volunteers, in the 17th cen­ attached to Cowbridge, it is “It should be of very tury. They probably be­ difficult to know where to general interest,” said Mrs queathed the drum to Cow­ stop!” exclaimed Mrs Kaey. Marion Eveleigh, curator. bridge Town band, which Digs by the Glamorgan- “It is crammed with was formed in the early Gwent Archeological Trust mementoes from down the 20th century but has now in the town, have yielded years — some were dug up fizzled out,’’ added Mrs much Roman pottery which in Roman excavations, Keay. is also on display in the some have been handed cells. It is thought that down for generations. All Stool Cowbridge may be the old in all it is a unique delve Roman town of Bomium, into the past of a very Exhibits in the museum and a dig is going on this fascinating town. We have go back farther than the summer in North Road, all enjoyed collecting very 17th century. Also on show Cowbridge, to try and find much” she added. is the old ducking stool, clues as to its history. When the caretaker of which used to operate near Adorning the walls of the the town hall, Mrs Rita the cattle market in Cow­ narrow corridor into the Martland, was cleaning out bridge. A contemporary cells are original cartoons a cupboard under the document reveals that a and pictures illustrating stage in the hall she found a ducking of one hour was the life of Cowbridge in the broken drum. the penalty for a first last few centuries. C llliiw t.v ____ Victorian Charter Centenary...4 March 28, 1987

Earliest Charter goes MEDIEVAL SPEAR back to 1359 Ancient finds donated Cowbridge is one of the or damp had led to their de­ smallest Municipal Boroughs cay and destruction. to Cowbridge museum in the Country. In the Autumn of 1983, the Vale of Glamorgan The collection at Cowbridge The town claimed Bo­ Manor Piece at St. Hilary. Charter of Richard Beau­ Museum has been enriched rough rights by prescription Round Table The find is rgarded as oi champ, Earl of Worcester, by two ancient finds being or title first granted by Ri­ particular interest, sugges­ granted to Cowbridge, came donated. chard de Clare, the Lord of Museum ting the apparent need of the to light. The first is a spear head Lord of St. Hilary Manor to Glamorgan in the year 1254. found during gardening work This fifteenth-century display support a force to safeguard Cowbridge Borough is at the site of the Manor parchment is now housed in Cowbridge Museum will be his property and dependants. mentioned in a series of House in St. Hilary. the strongrooms of the Glam­ staging an exhibition o| The second gift is a large Royal Charters, confirming The second find dates back organ Record Office, while a Victoriana and photographs ammonite, measuring half a the actions of the marcher around 210-millions years, to photocopy hangs on display of Cowbridge people and metre across. lords. events during the last 100 when the Vale was under the in the Council Chamber of sea. It is the fossil of a closely years. related ancestor of the mod­ The earliest surviving the Town Hall. The spear is described as in Their usual exhibits on ern nautilus, whose natural charter of this series was a “fine” condition. The oldest items of Corpo­ Roman and Medirval Cow­ habitat is now the South made by Edward III and Made of wrought iron, it ration Regalia are the Town bridge and a Geology exhi­ Pacific and Indian oceans. dated 13th July, 1359. still has a remnant of the Maces, inscribed 1606, pre­ bition by the National Mus­ it was found during excav­ original wooden shaft. It recites and confirms the viously used by the Court of eum, which includes dino­ ation work at the rear of the earliest of these royal confir­ In spite of the highly Common Council; these are saur footprints, are also on Louis Fisher DIY centre in humid environment in which mations, which was made by carried by the two Mace show. Open 10am - 4pm, Bear Lane. it was found, the iron was Edward III and dated 4th Bearers on official occasions. Town Hall Cells. The ammonite lay where it “remarkably stable”. March, 1324. had died on what was a sandy The spear head was don­ Further royal confirma­ and limey beach adjacent to ated to the museum by Ms. tions were made by Henry IV an island in the Liassic Sea, Elizabeth Giles, of th" (1401), Henry VI (1453) and which engulfed the Vale Edward IV (1465). about 210-million years ago. Experts at the National Until 1983 it was thought Museum of Wales are work­ that all medieval charters Cannonball lands ing on identification of the granted to Cowbridge had ammonite, which may well perished, that rats, mice, fire 200 years later... be a rare genus. Both finds will be on ex­ A cannonball from the Civil seum of Weles in the geology hibition at Cowbridge Town War has been found in a department fixed the date of Hall next Saturday, April 4, hedge at St Athan by Mr Ron the 161b cannonball. between 11 am and 4 pm. Hopkins. The clue was the Roman _ Mr Hopkins, of Higher numerals LV1 and the letters End, St Athan, said: “I was Lb. visiting my brother Reg who lives just in front of the re­ Dr King wrote to the mains of West Orchard Royal Armouries at the Castle in St Athan. Tower of London and say I have built an aviary be­ they believe the numbers and hind my house and I saw a letters refer to the weight. dead branch sticking out of The cannonball is to be the hedge that would do ni­ displayed at Cowbridge Mu­ cely for it. seum, housed in the former “ I pulled the branch and cells at Cowbridge Town out fell this lump of metal.” Hall. Hr Robert King, a re­ searcher at the National Mu­

WEIGHING UP CIVIL WAR FIND MR Ron Hopkins got more than he bargained for when he pulled a dead I have built an aviary behind my was that it was a cannonball. I house and I saw a dead branch The researcher who dealt with Dr branch out of a hedge at St Athan in noticed that the Roman numerals King s inquiry said in a letter the the Vale of Glamorgan. sticking out of the hedge that would LVl ond the letters Lb were im­ do nicely for it. So I pulled the printed on it. only reference to a 16-pounder gun branch and out fell this lump of she could find was in artillery Out popped a 161b cannonball metal/' "Museum experts in this field felt manuals of the mid 17th Century. dating from the Civil War that sure it was a cannonball fired from a She concluded that the cannonball nearly landed on his foot! Mr Hop­ Mr Reg Hopkins told Dr Robert culverin, a small cannon." King, a researcher at the National may therefore date from the Civil kins, of Higher End, St Athan, said: Dr King wrote to the Royal Museum of Wales in the geology War. I was visiting my brother Reg who department. Armouries at the Tower of London ílTes f!* 1 in front of the remains of and they said they were sure the The cannonball will now be dis­ West Orchard Castle in St Athan. He said: "When Mr Hopkins numbers and letters referred to the showed me the iron ball my guess played at Cowbridge Museum, weight. housed at Cowbridge Town Hall. iuncung from the town warder Mrs Marion Eveleigh on the tourist map of Wales. Cowbridge museum's push for tourists Cowbridge Museum Trust become the local point tor has launched a new campaign a drive to get the name of to try and attract more tour- Cowbridge on the touristy ists to the town. map ot Wales. The trust has produced a range of car stickers and badges inviting people to “Come to Cowbridge” and carrying the motif of the mu­ seum trust. Cowbridge museum, is housed in a dungeon at the Town Hall. It is open in the first Satur­ day of every month. Curator is Mrs Marion Eveleigh. Despite being open only once a month, the trust be­ lieve that the museum could

Probably the tiniest museum in the county-but the trustees of the one m the former ponce cens at v.owonoge , own ™... u.c H-,..,ng a promotion to help attract tourists to the town. Steward Edna Pratt, ot Holly Grove, Trerhyngyll, is seen with Joan Phillips, of Cord,ft Road, Cowbridge and Mary Hawkins, of Druids Green, Cowbridge. .r« n urprrtnn m ortom enrich museum ROMAN Legions may have disappeared once and for all from the Vale of Glamorgan but the curators of Cow- bridge’s Town Hall Museum have ensured Roman relics are here to stay. Two of the cells- at the Town Hall (a former prison) are to be set aside for Roman finds from the Cowbridge area. These items make the museum, which records the town’s history through the ages, richer by several hun­ Mrs Vivienne Whythe of the museum committee dred years. points out features in the Roman cell to visitors. An exhibition at the museum traces the work of the Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust in the Bear Field and along Cow- bridge High Street, which revealed strong indications of a military presence, remains of a possible bath-house, a corn drying kiln, late Roman domestic refuse and gullies. Members of the museum committee undertook painstaking work piecing together shards of Roman pottery to recreate pots and lids. Curator, Mrs.' Marion Eveleigh said: “We were given a boxful of broken pieces of pottery and had to sort them into pieces ẁhich looked similar and then into pieces which seemed to fit together. It was quite diffi­ cult work trying to work out Cowbridge Town Hall museum curator, Mrs what the pieces were meant Marion Eveleigh, with a Roman spearhead to be”. discovered in the town. THE VALE STAR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1986 5

M l

Museum trust set up A Cowbridge and District Museum Trust has been set up. Elected at the inaugural meeting were: chairman, Coun. John Roberts, secre­ CARRYING pieces of the Roman age in tary, Val Shannon, and trea­ i MWb'ÍÌ!L îreoMrs- Marion Eve*efeh. Mrs. Vivian Whythe and' Mrs. Dorothy Sewell. surer, David Edwards. The curator is Marion Everleigh. The Museum has been The Roman age returns open for three years now, but without a board of trustees. AFTER many centuries, the Now the matter has been Homan age is set to come back to By regularised, and the museum the Vale. Colin Macfarlane established on a professional A new ochibition opened at National Museum of Wales, include basis, the trustees “hope Cowbridge Town Hall last week and the large footprint of a dinosaur. there will be a greater up­ ÍÌÎÌd the m?Jor features are relics of the Roman Age in the Vale I he third section deals with castles surge in the donation of exhi ­ rhe exhibition, which takes place m the Vale and surrounding areas bits to the museum." Mrs. Marion Eveliegh, honorary The trustees invite the 13.nheK° duPnson cells in the Town curator of the little museum exhibi­ public to become ‘Friends of has three different sections. tion, said: “Up until a few years ago 1 he first section wilf deal with the the Museum," for a donation Homan age and is provided by many historians said there was no large Roman presence in Cowbridge of £3. members of the Glamorgan Gwent but recent discoveries showed that Family membership is £5 Archaeological Society. Interesting and children's membership pieces include old Roman pottery there was a large Roman presence between the First and Fourth centur­ 50p. ies AD . the ValeF ^ msignia’ a11 found *n The museum is open to the The exhibition will be open be­ public on the first Saturday The second section deals with tween 11 a m. and 4 p.m. on the first geoÍQgy- The pieces, donated by the Saturday of each month. of the month from 11 am to 4pm. Enquiries to the Curator Mrs Everleigh on, Cowbridge 2495.

Two dinosaur prints are put on show Footprints of two dinosaurs the exhibition space because go on show in the cells in the Town Co^pcil has given UlUiCW Liiui^w u ______Cowbridge Town Hall today, them three more cells in the Saturday. women's sectiffti of the form­ Two footprints have been er prison. E xhibition DINASOURS are drawiti loaned to Cowbridge Mus­ The exhibition includes eum Society. children to the museum a Roman remains from Cow­ The print of the Brontoz- Cowbridge Town Hall. bridge on show in the first The number of youngster oumthomasi, was discovered cell at the Town Hall and are visiting the History Society': in 1878 in a slab of stone near on loan from the Glamorgan/ exhibitions has greatly in Newton Nottage Church in Gwent Archeological Trust. creased since two dinasours Porthcawl. footprints were included ir Roman potfery includes . their extension last month. The Anchisauripus print nearly whole dishes and was found by students in plates. 1974 on the top of a Sully A print of hobnailed Rom­ cliff. an sandles in the shape of a The fossils are around 200- sole—was found in the Bear million years old and the Field. prints are the only ones Information on castles and found in South Wales. local history will also be on show. Cowbridge Museum Socie­ Entrance is only 2()p for ty has been able to double adults and l()p for children. Cowbridge fifty years on A new exhibition is being ing those with stories to the garden. unveiled at the Cowbridge tell and scrap books to On the positive side, SOUTH WALES ECHO Friday 3rd May 199-) Museum to commemorate show, in order to paint a there were the dances the 50th anniversary of social history of life in which local girls attended the outbreak of World War Cowbridge at that time. in Cardiff - the Americans II. With photographs of would be found at the The date September 3 is evacuees, a certificate Capitol, the RAF at the veiy significant to those given to the Women's In­ Connaught ballroom. who survived the war and stitute for their efforts in A chance RAF St Athan was train­ many local people have collecting salvage and ing engineers and there donated their old photo­ money and stories of Ital­ was a fighter station at graphs and memories to ian prisoners of war the Rhoose. the exhibition. exhibition promises to be The Glamorgan Home "Cowbridge during World fascinating to all who lived Guard included a Cowbr­ to se e that War II" is a fascinating through the war, or who idge branch which is said exhibition of how the wish to find out what really to have been mounted on people of Cowbridge coped went on. horseback. during this dark period in "A stray bomb was re­ our history. ported to have landed And for those who wonder old charter During the war the Vale of near a school in Cowbr­ why so many homes have low walls with no railings - Glamorgan was of military idge with its only victim ------~w***w*v» cum ÖWIUU1 p u p ils in significance since thpre being a cow", Mrs Eveleigh that valuable metal was Cowbndge have been given a rare opportunity were many airfields, and told The GEM. ripped out during the war to examine the Cowbridge Borough Charter of 1421. Bany Dock was used for All homes had to have a to be melted down for mili­ importing war materials. shelter, one being sup­ tary use. The Charter was brought to Cowbridge Muesum By 1944, 80,000 land plied free if the household The exhibition is open on from the Glamorgan Archives in Cardiff for the day on Wednesday to mark the 570th anniversary of the girls were working on the earned less than £5 per September 1 and 2 from granting of the Charter on May 1, 1421. farms in the Vale and week. 1 lam to 4pm. Mrs Marion Eveleigh, Monmouthshire. Some purchased indoor The museum is situated curator of the Cowbridge Museum, said it was the Mrs Marion Eveleigh has shelters like an iron table, in the Town Hall Council spirit a lot of time contact­ first time many people or had a shelter built in Chamber, Cowbridge. had had the opportunity to see the document, which confirmed the orig­ inal Charter of 1254. The 1421 Charter was lost for many years, but was discovered in the files of a Somerset solicitor in 1984 and brought back to Cowbridge. It was signed by Lord Beauchamp, Earl of Worcester and Lord of Glamorgan. Mrs Eveleigh said: “We had about 160 people come to see the Charter, along with pupils from lo­ cal schools.” Mrs Hilary Thomas, rep- representative of the Glamorgan Archives, gave a lecture on the Charter and the history of the Cowbridge charter to the school pupils. The Charter has now been returned to the Glamorgan Archives. The Cowbridge Museum, which is situ­ ated in the town hall, is open once a month. It will be open tomorrow from 11am to 4pm.